Greetings!
JWs do have a de facto "clergy class" but not for any of the reasons espoused thus far in this thread.
Note to those discussing the Clerical privilege in the justice system. This has nothing to do with the distinction of clergy or laiety. This is an evidentiary privilege which may be available in some cases. It may be referred to as a clerical privilege but one need not be a priest or even an ordained minister. It is likely that the court would apply it, if at all, to any religious context where one person is deemed to be in a position of confidence and there is an expectation of privacy of the communication.
Bottom line is this legal aspect is not what establishes a clergy-laity separation. What establishes a clergy class among JWs is the insistence and the assertion that an ordinary publisher after such one has committed a "gross sin" cannot obtain complete spiritual healing without confessing or telling their elders about such sin.
The WT/Society believes that rather than being an option for the "spiritually sick," James specifically outlines that the older men must be sought out to help.
The de facto result then is that a person who has sinned cannot claim that they have been forgiven by God or Christ (having taken corrective steps on their own including prayer and asking forgiveness of Christ or God) unless they have confessed their sins to the elders (and subjected themselves to the congregation's "judicial" procedure).
Thus the WTS has inserted the elders as an intermediate level of authority between individuals and Christ Jesus and God which is the exact function of a priesthood.
Obviously this is completely contrary to the scriptures.
-Eduardo Leaton Jr.
